'Tony Stewart is sticking by me,' says Rotherham United boss Steve Evans
UNDER-FIRE manager Steve Evans has dismissed suggestions his Rotherham United job is under threat after a poor start to the season, saying he has received assurances that he has the support of chairman Tony Stewart “for a long time to come”.
The boss arrived for a second spell in charge in April and pledged to have the Millers contending for an immediate return to the Championship this term.
He has suffered fierce criticism from fans following a run of four defeats in the last five League One matches that has left the club in a lowly 19th spot.
However, Evans claims that the faith Stewart has in him as the man to revive Rotherham's fortunes remains strong.
“The chairman has assured me that that backing will continue for a long time to come,” he told the Advertiser.
“The one thing I know about Tony Stewart – whether people agree with his and the board's ratification to give me that time – is that he's a very honest man with the highest integrity.
“If he was having shadows of doubts, he would be telling me that I've got X number of games. He's never, ever mentioned that.
“I was with the chairman for a couple of hours on Monday and we had a brilliant chat. He's as disappointed as I am. He reiterated that performances will get results. Our performances have been lacking but I believe they will come. We've got good players.
“His words were: ‘I don't need to see us win three or four games out of the next five or six, I need to see the performances in the next four or five games improving.’”
Evans won two promotions in his first spell at AESSEAL New York Stadium under Stewart and the pair share a close bond.
However, the boss appreciates that his employer's unwavering support can't go on forever if the Millers' fortunes don't improve.
“As managers, we all understand that runs like this can't continue and we need to start winning matches,” he said.
The Scot found time for a touch of humour after undergoing routine wellness tests yesterday morning. “The doctor was checking me over and I asked him to put some winning cells in there,” he joked.
Meanwhile, the illness in the camp that cost Rotherham the use of several key men in last weekend's 1-0 loss at Crawley Town has eased.
“There's nobody missing from the training ground,” Evans confirmed.
The Millers have no match this weekend and are next in action on Tuesday at home to Lincoln City.